The Games Commence!
by Estantia
Summary: Because even perfection can get boring. One shot. I don't own the Yugioh guys, but I do own the golden robed girl, so keep an eye out for her in future...


The bank of the river was a lush green, the grasses waving lightly in the breeze and casting gentle shadows across the golden clothes and skin of a man lying contentedly in the grass with his toes trailing in the crystal water cooling his feet in the sun that wasn't too hot. In other words it was perfect.

He couldn't stay here forever, well... in theory he could, but he had learnt from experience that sentences like that didn't hold true when they were actually possible. With a smile the man dug his heels into the bank and pulled, feeling himself slide into the water with a splash, ducking under so that it could stream past his fine, but somewhat unusual hair.

That was the other thing he loved about this place, ranks were virtually unknown here, and a Pharaoh could belly flop into the water without being reprimanded for indignity if he wanted to cause himself the pain of smacking into the water. Of course the downside was that anyone watching could laugh and some people had no qualms about doing just that.

As he surfaced the sun glittered on the droplets that flew off his hair, smiling up at the person on the bank, clothed in full ceremonial garb and looking as stiff as usual. "This is the afterlife my friend," the swimming figure informed him, "you shouldn't be so disapproving."

"I was simply thinking that swimming in full clothing was not a wise idea my Pharaoh," the other man commented as he watched, "Pray what is the point?"

"So that you can lie in the sun on the bank and let them dry again," the Pharaoh replied with a hint of a laugh as he pulled his youthful body out of the water. "I suppose you haven't just come for a chat have you?"

This earned him a look as if the high priest questioned his sanity, "Why would I do that?"

"Because you no longer have a temple or a multi-million company to run?" came the reply as Atemu flopped onto the bank, hair springing slightly at the impact, "If you're going to reprimand me about not turning up to the last banquet we organised then forget it, I forgot the time."

"Firstly it was not me, but Seto that ran the company, though he did it in an admirable manner only worthy of the successor," the priest replied before a slight frown on the banquet comment, "Well that is true but..." he hesitated before unrolling the scroll he seemed to permanently carry around, "this is the 5000th year after you entered the afterlife, shouldn't we do at least something to commemorate it?"

"Are you suggesting we try and sacrifice Bakura again?"

"Certainly not!"

"Good good, carry on..."

"I was actually going to ask you if you had a suggestion my Pharaoh."

"You are well aware this is a mistake?"

"Certainly, but I don't particularly feel like a repeat of the rather boring 2000th year celebration of Bakura's return."

There was a bark of laughter from the reclining man, "Only you could call that party boring!"

"You weren't the one who had to clean it up, it completely pulverised the house!"

"Yes, that's why it was entertaining," Atemu replied lazily as he lifted a finger for a butterfly to perch on. The priest sighed and closed the scroll, fixing his Pharaoh with a resigned, but still exasperated, glare.

"You're not paying attention are you?"

"Nope," came the reply in a particularly unconcerned voice.

Their banter could continue for hours, sometimes drifting onto one incident, sometimes another, but generally just playing the usual game of trying to wind Set up and Set ignoring it. Occasionally Marik would join them, or Bakura (yes it took him 3000 years to work off his sins, but he did make it to the afterlife), continuing their rivalry in the friendly way that they had become accustomed to now that there was nothing to play for.

However today was to be different. Today there would be a visitor.

Atemu was the first to notice it, being as how he was laid down and so able to see behind them. His eyebrow raised curiously and he sat up, half turning to look at the stranger approaching them. At the movement Set too turned his head as the woman stopped, standing on the path above and letting her long golden coat swirl to stillness.

Set turned and stood up, walking imperiously up to the woman and pausing, lowering his head in a bow as Atemu too wandered over, repeating the respectful motion as she did the same. "My name is Set, and..."

"You're the one who tries to organise everything around here, I know," the woman replied in a calm voice that could have rivalled Set's. The priest's surprise only lasted for an instant, just long enough for the flash of a Pharaoh's smile before he regained composure, which was very fast.

"I see my reputation proceeds me."

"Correction, it seems that your memory has faded after so long here," the stranger replied, her own mouth tipping in a smile as she moved long, dark brown, hair back over her shoulders. "Nice to see you too Atemu."

"Why do I have a feeling that I should know who you are?" Atemu asked.

"Because you do," was the simple answer before the woman resumed her calmer tone, "I'm just acting as a messenger though."

"A messenger?" the low voice of Atemu was curious, "Of what?"

"I'm here to take you back," she said, expressing herself slightly differently.

"To another life?" Set asked sharply.

"Yes."

There was a silence as the two men glanced at each other, "Admit it," Atemu said at last, "Paradise does get boring after a while. I'm going."

"Then I suppose you will want some company," came the reply,

The golden-robed girl smiled, "Great, Bakura's already gone, so now we can head off."

"Lead the way." Atemu indicated. The girl nodded and started to walk down the path with the two men following her as she began to glow golden. "By the way," she called, "the world is quite a bit different than what you were used to!"

The surroundings were now swirling and fading with each step they took, the only defined objects in the place the girl ahead of them and the two friends. Atemu looked at Set and saw that he was fading, not swirling away, but fading. "I will see you soon Set."

"Indeed, and I will beat you this time Pharaoh," he said with the old hint of a challenge in his words. Atemu smiled and shouted four last words as he faded back into the world.

"Let the games commence!"


End file.
